


In All This Craziness

by Song_of_the_Era_17



Category: Sword Art Online
Genre: Depression, F/M, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-16
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-07 19:09:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3179882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Song_of_the_Era_17/pseuds/Song_of_the_Era_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derik has a pretty sucky view on life. Not really any cause from the outside, just the fact that he suffers from depression. So when an opportunity arises for him to find a new outlet, he latches onto it instantly. There's only one problem.</p>
<p>He started playing Sword Art Online.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just a Sick Joke

            _I don’t think you quite realize what it’s like to be trapped somewhere you can’t get out of. Or maybe you do. I don’t know who’s reading this or not. Everybody has a story. Everybody’s got something that they’re fighting against: fear, anger, addiction, release, past experiences. Me? I’ve got two._

_The first is depression. There are days when I wake up and find no reason to do absolutely anything. Even if I’ve got classes to go to, work to go to, friends I can hang out with and distract myself from what I’m feeling. I just have no motivation. Sometimes it’s bad enough that I think it’d be more interesting to be dead than alive._

_Worse, depression strikes randomly. I have no way to predict when it’ll hit me, or how hard. Most of the time, I can react and deal with it. The meds take a little while to take effect, but they work eventually. Other times, I just can’t do it. I’m not the strongest person. It led to resorting to some outlets that I’m not proud of. Eventually I started weaning myself off my old habits and latching onto a new one._

_Video games. Specifically, I latched onto VRMMORPGs. Virtual Reality Massively Multimedia Online Role-Playing Games. My friends had turned me onto those. In a world where I thought myself weak and powerless and useless, I could be strong and heroic. Considering what I’d been through for the majority of my seventeen years on earth, it was exactly what I was looking for. Tch. I really should’ve latched onto something else, like playing guitar or some creative shit like that. Because that’s how I found the second._

_Because the first game I latched onto was Sword Art Online._

_Well, at least I don’t have to be myself here. Instead of taking out everything on myself, I can take it out on the very monsters that keep us stuck here._

_I can be someone new._

_Oh, my name? Whoever I was in that old world doesn’t matter here. You’ll find out soon enough._

_In the meantime, welcome to Aincrad. We’re going to be here for a while._

*******

            “Link Start!” At first there was nothing but a blank white screen. A blue box asking me which language I preferred appeared, and I selected English. Then streaks of color started flying towards me, and I couldn’t help but stare at it in wonder. Then the colors were replaced by a floating gray box in a circular room. The words “Welcome to Sword Art Online!” appeared, and were then replaced by an avatar creation screen.

            Then came up a view of myself. Somebody a while ago had told me I wasn’t bad looking, but I just couldn’t get passed the sad-looking dark eyes and shaggy black hair. I reached out a finger and touched the mirror, and suddenly the color of my hair shifted from black to sky blue.

            I grinned, and so did the me in the mirror. I reached out and tapped again and again, cycling through color after color. Eventually, I tapped the mirror and my hair turned silver. I hesitated a little bit, and then decided to keep the color. My hair looked better in silver. I smiled a little bit. _It looks a lot better_.

            _My eyes, on the other hand, still look sad._ I tapped on them, and the color changed from brown to black. _Oh, come on! That’s just worse._ I tried again, and this time my eyes turned pink. _…Just, no._ I kept tapping until my eyes shown back in a bright violet. _…I’m ok with it._

            “Accept Avatar?” the screen asked. I tapped “yes”, and then I felt myself being transported. _I look badass,_ I thought with a grin.

*******

            I found myself in a cobblestone town square. The sun shone down on everything I saw. Extraordinary blends of different architectural styles that my civil engineering friends would absolutely love. I breathed in and fell in love with air that smelled just like my hometown, except for the fact that there wasn’t a hint of sewage anywhere. So maybe like my hometown if it actually cared about the environment. Whatever.

            For a while, I just wandered, taking in the sights and sounds, looking into various shops before I got down to business of actually picking my weapon. _Something unique. I know this place is for swords, but I don’t really want to use one…_ At that point, I just picked an NPC’s stall and walked up to it.

            “Hi there!” The girl said. “What kind of weapon are you looking for?” If it weren’t for the fact that I knew these responses were pre-programmed, I’d think the poor girl was real.

            “Can I maybe take a look at a halberd, please?” I ask, although from the look the girl gave me, I was about to be very disappointed.

            “You must be at least overall level twenty-three to access halberds. You must also have a bō staff or spear skill level of at least two hundred. I can, however, start you off with a Bō staff or a spear, if you like!” the girl replied with a small smile.

            “Alrighty, then how about a bō staff?” I asked. The girl nodded and directed me over to a corner of the shop. I walked over and glanced over them. _Well, I guess having one of these would be could practice. And would be good for reach._ I picked them up one by one, tapping them to look at each staff’s statistics. After finding one that I liked (medium weight, medium durability), I picked it up and brought it back to the counter.

            “I’d like to buy this, please,” I said, laying the staff down in front of me. The girl nodded and tapped the staff, at which time a screen with a price popped up above it. I tapped accept, and then a button saying “Equip?” popped up. I tapped that too, and then a scabbard appeared on my back, with a strap going diagonally across my chest. I picked up the staff and slid it into place, letting go when I was sure that it was resting how I wanted it to.

            “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

            _I’ll probably need something for closer quarters…_ “Can I see the one-handed swords?” I asked. The girl nodded.

            “Yeah, that wall on your right!”

            I walked over, feeling the new weight of my staff on my back shift as I walked. I examined the swords there, all of which just seemed to be short swords. I picked one up with straight edges and brought that back to the counter. The girl tapped the weapon bringing up the screen again, and once again I tapped accept. This time, I chose not to equip it, and the weapon went to my inventory.

            “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

            “No, that’s all. Thank you, though.”

            “Come again soon!” The girl said with a smile, then she went back to staring straight ahead. _Geez, that’s creepy_ , I thought, turning and walking out of the shop and back into the sunlit streets of Town of Beginnings….

            And right into somebody who was going into the shop at the same time. “Ow!” The girl I bumped into fell back on her butt, but I managed to keep my balance.

            “Ah, sorry about that. I’m a klutz,” I said, offering my hand to her. She shook the pink hair out of her face and grudgingly accepted it, letting me pull her up. The first thing I noticed was the matching pink eyes to go with her hair, along with the freckles on her cheeks. She wore a red shirt and white skirt. I looked down at myself and finally noticed the purple shirt and black pants.

            “It’s fine,” she said, then wagged her finger in my face. “Just don’t do it again, you hear?!”

            “Got it,” I responded, grinning. Then I grabbed her shoulder and pushed her into the shop. “Well, in with ya! You’re going to be getting a weapon, yeah?”

            “H-hey! Don’t push! Dude! What the hell?!” the girl stuttered, as I pushed her into the shop, back the way I had come.

            “You’re pretty blunt. You’d probably be pretty good with a mace or a hammer.”

            “Eh?! Rude!” she said.

            “Teasing, teasing,” I said, laughing.

            “…That’s actually not a bad idea.”

            “What’d I tell you, eh, uh…I have no idea what your name is,” I finally got out.

            “Oh, right! Introductions, duh,” the girl said. She turned around and brought up a screen, and then spun it around for me to see.

            “Lisbeth, huh?” I said, looking up at her. “Mind if I call you Liz?”

            “Nah, go ahead!” she said. “What about you, Staff-san? What’s your name?”

            I pulled up my own page and spun it around for her.

            “Derik? That’s cool,” she said, scanning through the lines of text. “Eh? Oh, you speak English? Thank god for this universal translator function. I speak Japanese, myself. Wait…” she paused for a second. Then looked over at me in surprise. “This game is only available in Japan! How did you get it?!”

            “I’m in Japan studying abroad. Figured I’d get myself something to pass the time.”

            “Wow, you must be wicked smart, too!”

            “Now if you’re done crushing on me, don’t you think it’s time to get you something that might actually let you crush me?”

            “Oh, yeah, right…hey!” Liz punched me in the arm. “That was sneaky!”

            “I was kinda hoping you wouldn’t notice, but oh well. Hey, after this want to go get armor with me? I’d love the company,” I offered.

            “Sure thing! Then we can go test out our new gear at the hunting grounds outside.”

            “Thirty minutes into the game and I’m already partying up with a cutie like you? Must be my lucky day.”

            “Easy on the flirting, buddy. I just met you, remember?”

            “Just testing the feel of it. I’m not using like this, but I thought I’d try it out.”

            “Hi there,” the girl behind the counter said as Liz stepped up. “What kind of weapon are you looking for?”

            “Can I see the maces?” Liz asked.

            The girl pointed over to one of the other corners of the shop, and Liz strolled over to take a look. The girl behind the counter pointed out “Mace abilities are leveled up using the ‘One-handed War Hammer’ Skill!” Liz picked up one with a smooth, cylindrical head and brought it back to the counter.

            “This one, please!” The girl behind the counter nodded and tapped the weapon, bringing up the familiar screen. Liz tapped both accept and equip, and a holster appeared at her hip. Liz clipped it there and then looked over at me. “What do you think, Derik?”

            “Looks good to me,” I said, giving her a thumbs-up.

            “Is there anything else I can do for you?” the girl asked.

            “Nah, don’t think so. Thanks again, though!” Liz replied

            “Come again, soon!”

            Liz grabbed my hand started pulling me towards the door. “Come on, I think there’s an armor shop right across the street!”

            “Okay, okay! Geez, easy there!”

*******

            The sound of air resistance was evident as Liz and I started training with our new weapons. The simple leather armor I’d bought was pretty good to start with. Same with Liz’s.

            It took us a while to get used to, but we’d finally figured out the right poses to activate our skills. I held my staff with one hand at the end and the other a little closer to the middle at waist height parallel to the ground. With that, my staff began to glow purple, gathering energy. Then the skill took effect.

            I felt myself leaping into the air towards my target, something called a “Frenzy Boar”, bringing my staff up into the air over my head as I did so. Then when I landed in front of it, the staff crashed down onto its head. The creature squealed in rage and then stopped moving. Then with a sound like breaking glass, the boar shattered into little glowing pieces, then disappeared entirely.

            A screen popped up, with the words “Level Up!” appearing on it. Then that text was replaced with all the skills possible. I noticed that my bō staff skill had been trained a lot. “Alright!” shouted, pumping my fist into the air.

            “You sound like you’re having fun,” Liz commented, bashing her glowing pink mace into a boar, causing it, too, to shatter.

            “And you aren’t?”

            “Eh, fighting’s not really my thing, but I know it’s necessary. I was thinking about being a blacksmith or something. I love working with my hands.”

            “Really? I might just come to you for all my armor and weapons, then.”

            “Sounds good to me! Having a cutie like you for a customer would be good for business.”

            “Easy on the flirting, Liz,” I teased, mirroring her earlier statement. “I just met you, remember?”

            “Ha ha, funny,” Liz replied sarcastically. She brushed her hair out of her face and smiled. “Seriously, though. I’d be happy to be your exclusive blacksmith!”

            “Then if you need help getting to specific ores for different projects, you let me know! It’d be my pleasure to help you out.”

            “Sounds like a deal,” Liz strode towards me and stuck her hand out in front of her for a high-five. “Partners?”

            I pretended to think for a little bit, then grinned and brought my hand up to match. “Yeah.” We slapped hands, never breaking eye contact, smiling all the way. “Partners.”

            With the way the day had gone, I felt like I was walking on sunshine. I was good at fighting, I liked the way I looked, I had a friend I could talk to and hang out with; everything was going great.

            Little did anybody know that all of that was going to feel like nothing but a sick joke in no more than twenty minutes.


	2. When Everything Went to Shit

            “In that case, how about getting me on your Friend’s List? That way I can keep track of you.” Liz asked, throwing a wink my way.

            “Thaaaaat’s creepy, but sure,” I replied, pulling up the menu and adding the girl to my List. She got a notification to accept the request, and she did.

            “So what do you think?” Liz asked, looking back towards the city. “Head back to an Inn, log out for the night?”

            “Sure thing. Sounds good!” I said. But just as we started walking back, a bell chimed like a warning. “What the—“ I locked eyes with Liz just as we were both engulfed in clear blue pillars of light. I lost sight of her for a moment, and for a couple seconds, I could only see blue. When my view cleared, we were no longer on the sunset plains surrounding the city. _Well at least it’s a familiar place._

            “What are we doing back in the square?” I turned and found Liz standing next to me.

            “I have no clue,” I replied. Pillars of light continued to appear around us, bringing unfairly attractive people one by one until we filled the square, numbering around ten thousand people in total. Everybody logged into the game must’ve been packed into the square. And all of them were just as confused as we were.

            “What’s happening?” some people whispered.

            “Can we log out now?” others asked.

            “Can’t they take care of this quickly?” still more complained.

            I tapped the guy next to me on the shoulder. “Hey, what’s going on?”

            “I have no clue,” he said, tugging at the straps of his leather armor, and brushing his long black hair out of his face. _Stupid freaking attractive avatars._ “The one thing I do know is there’s no option to log out of the game.”

            “What?” I opened the menu and scrolled down to where I assumed the “Log Out” button should be. Sure enough, it wasn’t there. “ _Chikushō!_ Why is that?”

            “I don’t know, but I think we’re going to find out soon enough. What’s your name?” the guy asked.

            “Derik,” I said, closing the menu. “Yours?”

            “Kirito,” he replied. He started looking around, trying to make sense of things.

            “Look, up above!”

            In response to the voice, pretty much everybody just turned to look up, and the sight that greeted us was just about the most terrifying thing I had ever seen. One hundred meters in the air, on the bottom of the second floor, the air was checkered red. I couldn’t make out much at first, but then I could pick out two sets of words, criss-crossing the ceiling: “Warning” and “System Announcement”. _I guess this is what they brought us here for._ Then, of course, something even more terrifying started happening.

            The words on the ceiling melded together and started dripping down like blood. No, that’s inaccurate. More like it started oozing down into another shape: the ominous form of a hooded priest or something.

            “A GM,” Liz whispered.

            Kirito nodded grimly. “This one’s different, though.”

            “There’s no face,” I confirmed. All we could see were the shadowy insides of the cloak. After a few moments of nervous whispers, the figure raised its right hand, effectively silencing everyone. Then it raised its left arm in a warm, welcoming gesture. If it weren’t for the creepy lack of a face, I would’ve actually felt welcome. Instead, all I had was my heart in my throat.

            “Players, I welcome you all to my world,” came the low, calm voice of a man.

            “His world?” I murmured. I kept my eyes on the figure, because he wasn’t done.

            “My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Right now, I am the only person who can control this world.”

            Beside me, Kirito stiffened, and I couldn’t blame him. Everybody who knew gaming and computer technology knew that name. This guy was a genius in quantum physics, not to mention the developer of the NerveGear system and Sword Art Online. What confused me was why he was being so public at the moment. Kayaba was a behind-the-scenes, background kind of guy.

            “I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the log out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of Sword Art Online's system,” the voice continues.

            “Part of…the system?” the guy in red on the other side of Kirito muttered.

            “Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will.”

            Immediately, I jumped to the worst conclusion. “We're...stuck here? The only castle I can think of is...Aincrad?!”

            “Also, the discontinuation or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted…” The silence of ten thousand people threatened to overwhelm the space around us. The words that came next threatened to stop our hearts. “…the signal sensors in your NerveGear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions.”

            “…Shit,” I whispered. _This guy can kill us if we try to log out on our own._

            It feels like nobody else was willing to believe it. Just some sick joke, right? I’d had my share of sick jokes, a.k.a. my life so far, so I knew sick jokes. This was no joke.

            “Haha…what’s he talking about?” The guy in red asked, almost desperate. “That man, has he gone nuts? He’s not making any sense. The NerveGear…it’s just a game! Destroy our brains… How is he going to do that, right Kirito?”

            Kirito stood thinking for a couple seconds, wracking his brain for an answer. “Klein…theoretically, it’s possible, but…he must be bluffing. Because if we pull the plug on the NerveGear, there’s no way it can emit that sort of strong pulse. Except…” He paused, and suddenly I saw what he saw.

            “…Thirty percent of the weight of the system is the battery. He can carry out his bluff!” I shouted.

            “But…that’s totally crazy!” Klein shouted back, practically pacing now. “What if there was a sudden power outage or something?!”

            The voice continued, as if hearing Klein’s outburst. “To be a little more specific, dislocation from an outside source of electricity for ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle, or destroy the NerveGear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will start. These conditions have been made known to the government and the public through mass-media in the outside world. On that note, there have been several cases where the relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully get rid of the NerveGear. The result—“

            The metallic voice took a short breath here.

“—regretfully two-hundred thirteen players have already exited this game, and the real world forever.”

Someone somewhere in the square screamed, but other than that, everybody just stared on in shock.

 _Over two hundred people are already dead?_ _That just…can’t be. How are they just gone?_ At that point, I forgot I was scared. “Hey, asshole! Those were people, too! What gives you the right to decide whether we live or die?!”

A few people turned to look at me. Then came a couple shouts of assent. The voice continued on anyway, ignoring the shouts from the assembled players. “Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies that you have left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and internet media are all repeatedly reporting this situation, including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your NerveGear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have given, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax...and concentrate on beating the game.”

            “What?” This time the normally calm demeanor of Kirito was starting to crack. “What are you saying?! Beat the game?! You want us to play around in a situation like this?!” He raised his fist, shaking. “This isn’t a damn game anymore!”

            The voice of Kayaba Akihiko continued on. 'But I ask of you all to understand that Sword Art Online is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality.... From now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment that your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be gone forever, and at the same time your brain will be destroyed by the NerveGear.”

            Practically simultaneously, everyone glanced up at the top left corner of their vision. Those green bars were now what measured just how alive we are. Our lives literally depended on doing things right the first time. We could no longer afford mistakes in this game. Most people play the games and then die, re-spawn and try again. That was no longer an option.

            “T-This…can’t be my life now…” Liz was on the ground sitting back on her heels, gripping the hem of her skirt as tight as she could. “This j-just can’t be!”

            “Hey,” I said, going to kneel down in front of her. “Look at me, ok?” Her eyes met mine, and I could only hope that the fear I felt inside didn’t translate into my eyes like hers. Kayaba was still speaking, but I didn’t care. He was just going to say more of the same thing. “We’re partners, aren’t we?” Liz nodded. “Okay, you watch my back, I watch yours. We’ll protect each other, we’ll get stronger, we’ll get out of here alive. Got it?”

            Liz took a deep breath and then nodded slowly. Amid all the voices shouting about clearing all one-hundred floors, there was our agreement. We’d protect each other and be there for each other, Liz and I.            

            Slowly some of the other players were beginning to accept the situation here in Aincrad. Others were still in denial, and probably would be for a long time. Somehow, we just had to get out of here. All of us.

            As I tuned Kayaba back in, I heard what he was starting to say. “Then I will show you evidence that this is the only reality. In your inventories, there will be a gift from me. Please confirm this.”

            I closed my left hand into a fist and opened my right hand, pulling open the menu. I tapped the items and scrolled through what I had. I stopped over one that hadn’t been there before. “Hand mirror?” I double-tapped it and an extremely ordinary hand mirror appeared in my hand, along with everybody else’s. All it showed was my face. Nothing spectacular.

            Then I was engulfed in a bright white light, and I heard Liz yelp as the same happened to her. Then everything returned to normal.

            Literally. Instead of the avatars that had been there before, the faces and bodies of normal people stood in their place. I looked back in the mirror and instead of the silver hair and violet eyes I had given myself, I saw the black hair and same old sad brown eyes. I looked over at Liz to see her looking pretty much the same other than her having brown hair and warm chocolate brown eyes.

            “Your normal look is pretty cute,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. "For a Japanese speaker, you look surprisingly American.”

            “For an English speaker, you look surprisingly Japanese,” she threw back, starting to return to normal. "And you aren't so bad yourself."

            “…How did they manage to replicate what we look like?”

            “The NerveGear covers our entire head, so that’s how they got our faces,” the young boy standing next to me said. There were only two things that were the same as before: his clothing and the color of his hair.

            “…Kirito?”

            “Surprise, I’m a kid,” he muttered.

            “Being young isn’t that much of a problem, I’m not that old myself,” Klein said, now with stubble and bright, wild eyes.

            “Besides, it looks like everybody else got younger, too. And shorter. And wider,” I said, slowly looking downward to try not be as awkward.

            “Smooth, Derik,” Liz teased.

            “If anything, your real self is cuter than your avatar,” I responded, throwing a wink her way, doing anything possible to keep it light, keep it optimistic.

            “Now you’re just flattering me,” Liz said looking down.

            “It’s only flattery if I’m trying to get something out of you,” I threw back. “Only thing I want is to see you smile.”

            This caused the girl to blush, and Klein to whistle. “I might need to hang around you, pick up your tricks.”

            “No tricks, just honest opinions. But we might as well be friends, right?” I stood up offering the older guy my hand to shake. He clasped his hand in mine and shook.

            “Sure thing,” he replied.

            “What I’m wondering still is why he’s doing this,” Kirito muttered, looking over at the hooded figure.

            “I think he’s about to get to that,” I said, noticing the faint motion of his arms.

            “You will all most probably be wondering 'why.' Why am I—the creator of both the NerveGear and SAO, Kayaba Akihiko—doing something like this? Is this a sort of terrorist attack? Is he doing this to ransom us?”

            Silence again, everybody wanting to know the reason why the creator would do this. The answer came, and it didn’t answer a damn thing.

            “None of these is the reason I am doing this. Not only that, but now for me, there is no longer a reason or a purpose in doing this. The reason is because...this situation itself was my purpose in doing this. To create and watch this world is the only reason I have created the Nerve Gear and SAO. And now, everything has been realized.”

            There was actually emotion in his voice this time. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought it was empathy. _What kind of empathetic person would trap ten thousand people in a death game?_

            Then he started to finish up, his voice now emotionless again. “Now, I have finished the official tutorial for Sword Art Online. Players—I wish you luck.”

            The robe flowed back into the checkered ceiling. Then the color dissipated, and the sky returned to normal. For a few moments, there was only stunned silence among those of us gathered in the square.

            And then everything went to shit.


	3. Let the Game Begin

            The plaza exploded in shout and screams from nearly ten thousand players.

            “This is a joke, right?” Some guy behind me shouted. “The hell is this? It’s a joke, right?!”

            “Stop kidding around!” A girl to my left screamed. “Let me out! Let me out of here!”

            More and more voices cried out to be heard, but the only one with the power to let them out was no longer there to hear them.

            No…that wasn’t true. I looked to my left and right. Liz, Klein, Kirito, all of them could grow strong enough to eventually clear all those floors. I had no doubt that in the square there were many others who could grow strong, too.

            “Alright, listen up,” Kirito said amongst all the chaos. “If what he said is true, we’ve got to strengthen ourselves, and MMORPGs are a battle for resources between players. The people who’ve realized that are going to try to pick the hunting grounds around the Town of Beginnings. Going to the next village right now would be better. I know the way around, and I know all the dangerous spots, so I could get us there safely.”

            “I’ve got friends here from another game,” Klein said, glancing around the plaza. “I can’t leave them behind.”

            I offered my hand down to Liz, and she allowed me to pull her up. “It’s up to you. What do you want to do?”

            She took a few deep breaths, and then looked at the boy in blue. “Would you be willing to take me and Derik with you?”

            He hesitated for a second. “Don’t worry,” I spoke up. “We’re both strong fighters, and we can hold our own against these monsters. In the hunting grounds, nothing could touch us.”

            He sighed, and then nodded. “Yeah, we’d be a small enough group to handle that. Klein,” he said, looking at his friend, “catch up with us when you can, ok?”

            “Will do,” Klein responded, slapping his friend on the shoulder. “I’ll see you guys around.” He tossed a wink my way and a nod at Liz, and then he was gone in the sea of people.

            Kirito watched in his direction, probably wishing to call him back.

            “Kirito,” I said, and he looked my way. “We have to go.” He nodded, and then started pushing his way through the crowd. I took Liz’s hand and followed close behind, not wanting to lose either of them. We finally got out into the empty streets of the Town of Beginnings, and together we took off running, wanting desperately to become as strong as possible. We’d get out of this stupid death game.

            No matter how long it took.

*******

_One month later…_

            “Well this sucks,” I said, reading one of the player-run newspapers that had started up recently. “Two thousand people dead and we still haven’t cleared the first floor.”

            “Don’t even know where the boss room is,” Liz added sadly.

            In the past month, Liz, Kirito, and I had leveled up a lot. Kirito had upgraded his sword, gotten new pants and boots, and had replaced his leather armor with an iron breastplate. Liz had trained up not only her Hammer Skill, but her Blacksmithing Skills as well. She had become a skilled mace-user, and had crafted the armor she currently had. My own armor and weapon had pretty much all been forged by Liz. An iron breastplate was what I wore, and an iron staff was what I carried now.

            And yet our efforts were not enough. Nobody had managed to get even close to finding the boss room, which would open up the next level to us.

            “We can’t lose hope,” Liz resolved, looking up at me. “We’re gonna get out of here, got that?”

            I chuckled a little. “I hear ya, I hear ya.”

            I leaned back and kept looking at Liz. When she realized I was still looking at her, she narrowed her eyes at me. “What are you looking at?” she demanded.

            “To be honest, I kinda miss the brown,” I said, referring to her hair and eyes. She brushed her once-again-pink hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Don’t miss it too much,” she threw back. “I like it this way.”

            “So do I,” I agreed, grinning at her.

            “I kinda miss the brown, too, you know?”

            “What, my eye color?”

            Liz nodded. “The violet’s really intense and attractive and all, but I liked the brown.”

            “I don’t know, I always thought they looked sad.”

            “Trust me, Derik,” she locked eyes with me, “when you told me what you did in that plaza, they were anything but.”

            At first, I couldn’t say anything, simply because what she said surprised me. Then I smiled. “Thanks, Liz.”

            “Don’t mention it,” she waved it off.

            “Don’t miss it too much, though,” I added with a wink. “I like it this way.”

            “ _Urusai!_ ” she commanded, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

            I squinted down the road from the table we were sitting on. “Look, there’s Kirito!”

            “Looks like he’s found something,” Liz added.

            Our friend slowed down, coming to a stop when he reached us. “They’re going to be holding a meeting later today regarding the boss room. Sounds like somebody found it.”

            “Really?!” I jumped down from my seat. “Now that’s some good news!”

            “Yeah,” he replied with a small smile. “We need to figure out how to fight that thing. Something called ‘Illfang the Kobold Lord’. The beta-testers have been passing out booklets with information about stuff. It’s really helpful.”

            “Alright!” Liz cheered, standing up to get in on the conversation. “So what’s the plan until the meeting?”

            “I was hoping to train my Martial Arts and Acrobatics Skills a little bit,” I mentioned. “Might be helpful.”

            “I was thinking about working on my Blacksmithing,” Liz also threw out.

            “How about Derik and I go out and train our combat skills, and you go find a shop to train your own skills?” Kirito suggested.

            “Sounds good to me,” I said, looking to Liz.

            She nodded, and said, “I’ll see you guys at the meeting, then!” With that she turned and ran.

            “Amphitheater! Four in the afternoon! Don’t forget!” Kirito shouted after her. Liz threw up a V for victory and kept running, never looking back. I watched her go for a few moments, her pink hair bouncing with every step she took.

            “ _Ōkē!_ ” Kirito said, cracking his knuckles and breaking my daze. “Let’s head to the labyrinth.” He opened his menu and re-equipped his sword.  Then he took off running.

            “Right behind you,” I shouted, taking off at a run behind him. Not breaking my step, I opened the menu and re-equipped my staff. Its familiar weight settled on my back, tightening the leather strap against my chest. With every step closer to the labyrinth, we were getting closer to leaving the virtual world. Little by little, we’d get stronger.

*******

            “Hya!”

            “Ha!”

            Kirito and I battled against different “Kobolds”, wolf-like creatures that stood on their hind legs, attempting to train our respective statistics. I feinted a blow to the monster’s head, and when it reacted in kind, I reversed direction, swinging low to knock it off its feet. My glowing purple staff connected with the monster’s knees, knocking it to the ground and causing damage at the same time. Then I spun my staff into my right hand, and closed my left fist, which then started glowing purple as I activated a Martial Arts skill. Then the skill took effect, launching me into the air and connecting my fist with the Kobold’s face as I slammed back down onto the ground above it.

            The monster growled, and then shattered into pieces. The same sound came from behind me, and I looked backwards to see Kirito had finished off his prey. I turned back to check the screen that had popped up, showing me how my stats had grown. Acrobatics and Martial Arts had grown to 110 and 117. Bō Staff was up to 147. I grinned. _Closing in on that lucky 200._

            “Derik!” I stood up and turned, looking at Kirito. “Ready to go?” He sheathed his sword with a metallic ring.

            I sheathed my staff and nodded. “Let’s head back.”

            We’d been walking for a little while when we heard a scream. Kirito and I looked at each other, wide-eyed, and took off running in the direction it came, unknowingly training another skill: “Sprint”. Through twists and turns we ran until we found a cloaked girl surrounded by Kobolds. On their own, the monsters aren’t that bad, but this girl was in the middle of a circle of five. Taking those on alone could only get you killed.

            “Kirito, _hidari iku!_ ” I said, already sprinting off heading for the right side of the circle.

            “ _Ryōkai!_ ” he replied, taking off to fight the two monsters on the left. I held my staff like a one-handed spear, tucking the end under my arm as I aimed for the far Kobold. It didn’t see me coming, even with the purple glow.

            “Haaaaaaa!!!” I slammed down my right foot and jabbed forward, connecting with the monster’s head. It locked eyes with me as it fell before it shattered. I pounded my left foot down and spun, aiming for the creature behind me. It put up an arm equipped with a vambrace to block, but it gave somebody else an opening. “Now!”

            The girl understood, whirling to stab that last monster in the chest. Moments later, it dissipated.

            I looked at the girl in the cloak. “ _Daijōbudesuka?_ ” _Are you ok?_ She nodded, sheathing her rapier.

            “Second question,” Kirito said, coming up behind her. “Are you insane?! What are you doing in here alone?!”

            “Getting stronger,” she said, softly.

            “Closer to getting suicidal,” I muttered. She turned back to me, not responding. “Solo players may be good fighters, but their mortality rates are insanely high.”

            “I don’t care if I die fighting a monster. I have to stay me,” she whispered.

            “You can still be you while getting out of this game alive,” Kirito shouted, getting her attention. “ _Baka!_ There are things both out there in the real world and in this game worth living for!”

            There was silence between us all for a few moments. “Okay,” she said.

            I nodded, and smiled at her, and Kirito even cracked a small smile. “Come on, we’re about to head back to town. We can rest up for a little while before that boss battle meeting. How’s that sound?”

            For a few moments, she was silent, thinking. Then came her simple answer.

            “Okay.”


	4. Words, Said and Unsaid

            “What took you guys so long?” Liz greeted us when we stepped down into the amphitheater. “They’re just about to start!”

            “Had to pick up someone,” I replied, shifting my eyes to the left, indicating our cloaked companion. Since coming back and resting in an inn, she hadn’t said a word to us, simply following us when it was time for the meeting.

            Liz did a quick once-over, then nodded. “Well come on, then!” She grabbed my hand and tugged me forward, almost making me totally lose balance.

            “H-hey! Easy there, Liz!” I stuttered, pretty much just along for the ride. Then she jerked me sideways into the stone seats. I was helpless to do anything but glare at her. I heard chuckling from Kirito as he slid in next to me, and as I looked over, even the girl in the cloak had cracked a smile.

            Then everyone got serious as a guy in all blue, in both armor and hair, clapped his hands twice to get everyone’s attention. “Alright! Let’s get started people!”

            Stragglers sat down, their weapons clacking, and then he continued.

            “Thank you for coming today. My name is Diavel. I like to consider my ‘job’ as a Knight,” he declared proudly, thumping his chest in a bit of a salute.

            This got a laugh out of everyone. “There’s no job system in this game!” a guy in front shouted.

            Some took a more pessimistic outlook. “A knight? Gimme a break.” “Then is this meeting a joke, too?” “You should take this seriously!”

            Diavel moved his arms as if pressing down their reactions. Then he was suddenly serious. “Today, our party found the boss room at the top of the tower.”

            This time, the reaction was totally different. Everyone leaned forward in their seats, including our usually apathetic companion. “Seriously?” someone asked.

            Diavel continued on. “We need to defeat the boss, reach the second floor, and tell everyone waiting in the Town of Beginnings that it is possible to beat this game.” He closed his fist, locking eyes with people one by one. “Everyone present here shares this duty! Do you all agree?” The players gathered there shared glances, between friends, between strangers. I looked at Liz, who nodded. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked over to realize it was Kirito’s. Even our cloaked companion was nodding. Then one guy started clapping, prompted applause from the rest of us.

            “Alright,” Diavel accepted, smiling now, “then let us begin our planning!” He spread his arms. “First, divide into parties of six! Of course a normal party has no chance against a boss like this. We’ll have to make a raid group using multiple parties.”

            “Well, I don’t know about six,” I said, looking at my friends, “but us four together should be plenty.” I looked over at the girl in the cloak. “Are you in?”

            She nodded, and I opened a menu to send a party request to her. She accepted, and then under Lisbeth’s and Kirito’s names at the top left of my vision appeared another name.

            _Asuna_.

            I locked eyes with her again and nodded my thanks. Then I turned my attention forward, like everyone else, because Diavel was starting again.

            “Okay, have you formed your parties? Then—“

            “Just a second!” a voice from behind us interrupted. As I turned to see who it was, all I could see was his silhouette against the sun. The guy started leaping down the steps three or four at a time, eventually landing in the center of the amphitheater, in front of Diavel. His spiked orange hair and fierce eyes got everyone’s attention.

            “My name’s Kibaou. I wanna say something before we take on the boss.” Kirito made a noise, and leaned forward. “Some of you here need to apologize to the two thousand people who have died so far!” At that, my friend stiffened, but only visible to the three people around him.

            Diavel spoke, then. “Kibaou-san, are you referring to the beta-testers?”

            “Of course I am!” the player replied, turning to face him. “On the day this stupid game started, the beta guys ditched us beginners, and they all disappeared. They took all the good hunting spots and easy quests for themselves, so only they could get stronger.” Here he became more expressive, involving his hands in the words he said. “And then, they just ignored the rest of us.” He scowled here, obviously angry.

            He turned to address the rest of us there. “I’m sure someone here was in the beta!” He jabbed fingers in various directions. “They should get on their knees and apologize, and give up all the items and money they’ve hoarded.” He crossed his arms, making his final point. “Otherwise, we can’t trust them to protect us as party members, and they shouldn’t trust us!”

            People started looking nervously, either trying to figure out who was a beta-tester, or silently trying to convince people that they weren’t.

            Of course, Liz and I knew that Kirito had been a beta-tester, but we also knew that he was the furthest thing from what Kibaou had just described. The swordsman looked as if he was going to say something and stand up, but just before then, another man stood up, and he was probably the most impressive player I had ever seen.

            Tall and well-muscled, he was intimidating, even without the large two-handed broad-axe on his back. “May I speak?” he said, his voice a low baritone. He walked down from his seat and stood in front of Kibaou in order to address him directly.

            “My name is Agil. Kibaou-san, tell me if I have this right. You’re saying that because the beta-testers didn’t take care of them, many beginners died. That they should take responsibility, apologize, and provide compensation. Correct?”

            “Y-yeah,” the player replied, not backing down. At that, Agil reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, leather-bound booklet.

            “You got this guide book, didn’t you? It was provided for free at the item store.”

            “Sure, I did…” Kibaou replied. “Why?”

            “It was compiled from information given by the beta-testers,” Agil answered. _Well, there’s a bombshell._

            Agil turned to address the rest of us, now. “Listen. Everyone had equal access to this information. And even still, many players died. I thought the topic of discussion here was what we could learn from their deaths and how that can help us defeat the boss.” Everyone was silent, pondering his words.

            Agil turned to look Kibaou in the eye, and the spiky-haired swordsman grimaced, going to sit down in a huff. Agil then went to sit down, too.

            Diavel took the floor again. “Alright. Then can we resume?” I nodded my assent, knowing that everyone else did, too. “The latest edition of that guide book was just issued, and it contains information on the boss.” He held up that leather-bound book, and with those words, everyone leaned forward to listen. According to it, the boss’s name is ‘Illfang the Kobold Lord’. He is guarded by assistants known as ‘Ruin Kobold Sentinels’. He is armed with an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one enters the red, he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a Talwar. His attack pattern changes as well.”

            The flood of precious information caused everyone to voice their appreciation. Diavel then closed the book with finality. “This concludes the briefing. Lastly, items will be automatically distributed. EXP goes to the party that defeats the monster. And whoever receives an item keeps it. Any objections?” Nobody voiced an objection.

            “Okay, we leave tomorrow, at ten in the morning. See you there!” And with that, we were dismissed.

*******

            “Alright, so when we go up against the ‘Sentinel’, we’ll use switching, just like always,” Kirito said.

            We were at another picnic table, discussing our strategy for tomorrow. Liz and Asuna sat on the bench while Kirito and I sat on the table itself. For now, we had unequipped our weapons, though we would re-equip them when the time came.

            “Switching?” Asuna said.

            “Is this the first time you’ve been in a party?” I asked, to which she nodded. “Well, trying to use our weapon skills all at once in a small area just gets messy, and it hurts more than it helps. Switching uses one player’s skill to deflect your target’s weapon, and that makes them vulnerable for a second or two. When that happens, a party member darts in and deals damage.”

            The girl thought for a second, then nodded. “ _Sōdesu ka_.”

            “ _Yoshi_ ,” I said, clapping my hands together. “Don’t go training your combat skills for the rest of today. Rest up for tomorrow. We’ll see you then.”

            Asuna nodded, then got up and walked away. Kirito watched her go.

            “Well, she’s certainly a quiet one,” Liz observed.

            “She’s a solo player,” I pointed out. “Communication might not be one of her strong points.”

            “Either way, though,” Kirito added, “for the time being, she’s one of us. Someone will have to talk to her and be friendly.”

            “I think I’ll leave that to you, bud,” I decided, pushing him a little. “You’re the one who got through to her today in the labyrinth.”

            “B-But, I-I—”

            “Don’t worry, Kirito,” Liz reassured him, laying her hand over his. “You’ll do fine.”

            Kirito took a deep breath and then nodded. “I’ll probably go look for her in the evening. ‘Til then,” he said, hopping to the ground, “I think I’ll just wander around town. So I’ll see you guys later, okay?”

            “See you later, Kirito,” I waved. As he was starting to walk away, I called out, “Don’t get lost!”

            “That was _one time_ ,” Kirito complained, before he turned a corner and disappeared.

            “Never gonna let it go, buddy,” I pressed, grinning while Liz laughed her head off. “So, Liz,” I said, grabbing her attention, “what are you going to do for the next few hours?”

            “Well, I think I’m going to work more on my Blacksmithing. I want to be one of the best in Aincrad!”

            “Mind if I join you?” I asked.

            “ _Eh?!_ What for?!” she demanded.

            “Well, you’re always around when you see what I’m good at, so I figured I’d return the favor for once.”

            “Well, that’s fair, I guess…” Liz ran her fingers through her hair. “Well, I guess you can. I mean, it’s not going to be that interesting.”

            “Nonsense, I get to watch you,” I replied with a wink.

            She blushed. “Sometimes I think you exist simply to make me awkward.”

            “Well, that and making sure that you don’t forget you’re attractive.”

            “ _B-Baka_ ,” she stuttered. “S-So are we going or what?”

            I grinned. “It’s a date, then.”

            “ _Ehhhh?!_ ”

*******

            _What’s the matter with you?_ I chastised myself. _You need sleep, dammit!_

            Night had fallen a long time ago. Most players were asleep, preparing for the battle tomorrow. Meanwhile, I couldn’t get a single damn wink of anything.

            Looking out the window of the inn, I could see the moonlit streets of the small town. A few black cats wandered, slinking in and out of the soft silver light, then disappearing into alleyways.

            There was a very high possibility that I could die tomorrow. That possibility was open to everyone. _But why should any of them have to die? They probably have lives out there to go back to, people who would care if they were gone._

_Me? Most of my friends would get along without me just fine. Awkward third wheel? Try spare tire. And not even the first spare. Or the second. More like awkward third spare tire that would never be used. Ever._

            “Tch.” _How useless can I possibly be? Even here, if I die, I can die heroically._

            I heard a knock at the door, shaking me back. “Yes?”

            “Derik?” came that familiar voice.

            “Liz?” I got up from my chair and walked over to open the door. Only when I unclenched my hand to grasp the doorknob did I notice just how deep I had let my nails dig into my palm.

            Twinkling glass shards disappeared into the darkness around me as the door swung open to reveal those sad, rose eyes. “What are you doing up? It’s the middle of the night.”

            “I-I just…” she began, voice trembling, “can we talk?”

            “I-I guess, yeah.” I stepped aside. “Come on in.” She stepped in, her usual optimism gone. She sat down on my bed and smoothed out her skirt.

            “What’s the matter?” I asked, sitting down next to her.

            For a couple seconds, she just sat there, staring at the hands gripping the hem of her skirt. “I’m afraid of tomorrow,” she finally said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I could die. But maybe either you or Kirito could die, too.” Her knuckles went white as her fists clenched tighter. “I don’t know which is worse.”

            “Liz.” She looked at me but didn’t loosen her grip. “You know what we’re all capable of. We’re strong fighters on our own. And as a team, we’re unstoppable.” I put one of my hands over hers. “We’re all going to come out of that boss room alive. And we’re going to come out victorious.”

            She took a deep breath and nodded, uncurling her fingers. Then she turned her palm upwards and laced her fingers with mine. “I’m still scared, you know.”

            I chuckled a little. “I know. I don’t blame you. But we’ll be alright.”

            “You promise?”

            “Yeah. I promise.”

            I started to get up, but she made no move to leave. “Derik?”

            “What is it, Liz?”

            “C-Can I stay with you tonight?”

            I froze. “You want to stay with me?”

            “I just don’t want to be alone before whatever happens happens,” she replied, blushing.

            “I-I guess, yeah. Yeah, you can stay for tonight,” I stuttered out.

            She smiled softly. “ _Arigatō._ ”

            “I wasn’t about to turn you away,” I whispered, smiling back.

            Liz shifted sideways and lay her head down on the pillow, curling up a little. I moved, too, and sat down next to her.

            “Derik?”

            “ _Nani_?”

            “Will you hold my hand until I fall asleep?” I looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn’t going to slip away until I answered.

            Instead of saying anything, I slipped my hand under hers. As she drifted off to sleep, smiling softly, in my mind I had the conversation that one day we might eventually have.

_Thank you._

_For what, Derik?_

_For giving me my reason to live._


	5. Stupid Freaking Background Music

“Alright, everyone!” Diavel shouted. “This is it!”

Derik glanced around at the clusters of players around him. A few people seemed anxious, shifting from foot to foot and opening and closing their fists. As for his friends? It seemed to him that the only thing in their eyes was determination.

“I only have one thing left to say,” the armored warrior shouted. He lifted up his fist and smiled. “Let’s win!”

The staff wielder felt someone’s hand slip into his, and when the boy turned to look, he realized that it was Liz’s. She was staring straight ahead, but Derik could feel her pulse racing.

“You remember what I promised you last night, right?” he asked.

She nodded shakily. “I do, but—”

“Lisbeth,” the young man interrupted, squeezing her hand gently. “ _Watashi wa itsumo soba ni iru_.” _I will always be at your side._

The girl nodded again, a little more confidently this time. So, as Diavel pushed open the giant doors to the Boss Room, every player unsheathed their weapon and held them at the ready, prepared for anything.

Except for the fact that when the lights turned on and the room transformed from a dark cavern illuminated by dull firelight to a vibrantly colored mosaic along the walls and bright white floors and pillars, when all the players charged into the boss chamber, along with the shouts and cries of the warriors, there came another sound ringing through the air, almost like the roll of cymbals. It was distinctly more musical than the familiar charging of sword skills.

So when the axe of driving percussion split the air, followed by the battle cry of blasting horns ringing and reverberating off every surface, everything in the room faltered momentarily. Of all the random twists that Kayaba Akihiko could throw at them, his current idea of a plot twist was a…

“Battle soundtrack?” Kirito muttered. “Is this really necessary?”

Derik let out an enthusiastic laugh. “I don’t know, but I kind of like it!” He spun his staff in a bit of showmanship and settled into his usual fighting stance. “Does anybody know what the title of this song happens to be?”

Liz opened her menu, and scrolled until she came upon a previously unnoticed submenu: Music. “…How appropriate,” the girl sighed.

“What?” Kirito prompted.

“The title of the song is 'Swordland.'”

Derik cackled, shocking his teammates into staring at him. “What? Death game or not, that’s hilarious!”

“Well, Derik, you know what wouldn’t be hilarious?” Liz asked. “Dying. So don’t die.”

“Right, right,” he sighed, then shot a grin at his teammates. “Let’s beat these suckers into the ground!”

And as the first ‘Ruin Kobold Sentinel’ charged toward their party, Derik put his weight on his back foot and raised his staff like a sword, causing his weapon to glow violet. The sentinel swung its oversized mace and Derik countered, sparks flying as he knocked the sentinel’s weapon sideways and away from its body, creating that crucial opening.

“Switch!” he shouted, and with a shout, their hooded ally darted in and pierced their foe’s body, releasing glass shards to the air and leaving a digital wound. Derik and Asuna jumped back, exchanging a quick nod and a soft smile, before returning to the task at hand.

“How’s its HP?” the boy asked, glancing at the green bar above its head. “Huh, not a bad hit.”

“ _Arigato_ ,” she replied, and went up to try her hand at switching. Metal clanged against metal, and the mace was knocked away once again. “Switch!”

This time it was Lisbeth darting in, throwing a blow skyward into the sentinel’s face, knocking it backward and reducing its health by another ten percent.

“Great job,” Derik said as the two ladies jumped backwards. “Kirito!” he shouted, getting the other boy’s attention. “Let’s see how much damage you can do!”

“With pleasure,” the swordsman replied with a grin, and so Derik rushed in ahead, charged another skill and let it fly, knocking aside the mace once again and giving enough time for his teammate to deal damage.

“Switch!” the staff-user shouted, and Kirito leapt into the fray. The swordsman slashed diagonally downward across the Kobold’s chest, reducing its HP by another twenty percent.

“Not bad, not bad,” Liz commented when the two boys stepped back. Her nervousness was gone, replaced by what Derik thought might even be enjoyment. “But, I think you can do better than that,” staring right at the boy who identified himself from the beginning as her partner. “What do you think Derik? Want to take a swing at it?”

The boy locked his violet eyes with her pink ones. Then with a grin, he made a sweeping gesture to their opponent, which was beginning another attack. “Ladies first!”

Lisbeth smiled back and charged, a sword skill already illuminating her mace in a vibrant pink, and Derik followed hot on her heels, preparing something of his own that he had been working on for the past few days. The metallic clang of mace against mace rang through the air, followed by the blacksmith’s cry of “Switch”, and Derik was more than happy to oblige.

Gripping his staff with both hands, not too far from the center, he spun, slamming first one end of his staff into the Kobold’s head, then the other, and as his staff’s glow faded to the faint shine of iron, Derik slammed the leading end into the ground. His grip shifted to the end of the iron rod that was now standing vertically, and the system assisted him as he leapt into the air and slammed his now-violet foot into his opponent’s head a third time. Its health visibly dropped below the halfway mark. The staff-user completed his axis, landing where he had left the ground only a moment ago. But only a second later, the ‘Sentinel’ had recovered, and was raising its oversized mace high above its head for a downward strike that could easily wipe a third of Derik's HP if it connected.

He yanked his staff up and blocked just as the spiked mace meteored towards his face. His knees buckled, but he held his ground. _I am_ not _going down this way!_ He bared his teeth and pushed back. Then, as the sound of a sword skill reached his ears, Derik leaned to the right just as a glowing pink mace arced past his head and into the armored face of his opponent. It stumbled back, breaking contact with his staff. Derik leapt back to rejoin the rest of his squad.

“Thanks, Liz,” he panted as the pink haired girl stepped beside him. “That was close, though. You almost hit me in the head!”

“But I didn’t,” she shot back, knowing full well that the boy was grateful for the assistance. “So about that combo?” she prompted.

“I’ve been working on that for four days,” Derik replied proudly as Asuna ran forward to knock away the opponent’s mace once again, giving Kirito the opening he needed to finish off the ‘Ruin Kobold Sentinel’. The beast froze for a moment before shattering into shimmering shards of glass, twinkling in the light of the boss room before disappearing from view.

“I've never seen anything like it,” Liz said in approval. “How did you do it? You might want to put it in the guide book!”

“I think it has to do with my choice of weapon,” he admitted, spinning his staff casually. “It’s pretty versatile, so when I opened my menu and scrolled through the skills I’d unlocked, I came across one that I’d never seen before.”

“Well, what is it?” she pressed, just as Kirito and Asuna rejoined the two of them. The swordsman scanned the room, gauging the situation.

“‘Improvise,’” Derik answered. “It pretty much allows me to create and master my own combinations in combat, no matter what style it is.”

“Cool!”

“It looks like all the ‘Sentinels’ are taken care of for this round,” Kirito said, remaining focused on the battle at hand. “I think after each health bar reaches '0' another set of ‘Ruin Kobold Sentinels’ spawns. You guys ready for another go?”

“You bet your ass we are!” Derik replied, grinning wide.

“If it’s all the same to you, you can keep your ass to yourself,” their hooded ally muttered.

“Hey!”

* * * * * * *

The battle had been going on for who knows how long. Time was passing, that they knew, but nobody was able to tell just how long it was taking, especially because in the air around them there was, apparently, an endless loop of ‘Swordland’. _Stupid freaking background music._

Squad F, as which Derik, Lisbeth, Asuna, and Kirito were collectively referred, had managed to swiftly take out three ‘Ruin Kobold Sentinels’ with their combined efforts, with only one slip up (Derik had managed to use an extraordinarily wrong sword skill that ended with the staff-user losing a foot and Lisbeth losing her shit). Luckily, limbs tended to re-spawn after three minutes, so after Asuna got in the last hit against the ‘Sentinel’ they had been facing, the violet-eyed got to sit on the ground and wait for his foot to reappear, all while Liz gave him a lecture on recklessness and consequences. Kirito and Asuna had simply sat back and tried not to burst out laughing.

Once the violet-eyed boy had regained his foot, profusely apologized to Liz for not thinking through his ideas, and promised not to get himself hurt again, in order to finish what was to become a signal of hope to all players stuck in the floating castle of Aincrad, Squad F took off running toward ‘Illfang the Kobold Lord’.

“What’s the situation here?” Derik asked, settling himself alongside Agil.

The man opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly, an earth-shaking roar caused the air to tremble around them. The boy looked up in time to see that ‘Illfang’ had had his health practically demolished, leaving only a small chunk of red in the last of his four health bars.

“That,” Agil said simply.

“Right then,” Derik replied.

“Watch the weapon switch, guys!” Kirito warned, keeping the point of his sword aimed at the boss.

Then a blue blur charged past them. “Don't worry, I've got this one!”

“Diavel! Wait!” Kibaou shouted, reaching out to grab him. Too late. He was already in position to strike, a golden sword skill already beginning to build in strength. ‘Illfang’ tossed its axe and buckler away and pulled out a long, traditional Japanese looking sword.

“Crap, that’s a _nōdachi_!” Kirito shouted. “It’s longer than the talwar we were expecting!”

“Dammit!” Agil cursed, and charged in on the left side of our accepted leader. A teal glow began to radiate from his axe as he slid it in front of Diavel.

‘Illfang’ then flexed its legs and launched itself into the air, rebounding from pillar to pillar. _Agil's not going to be able to knock it away on his own!_ Before he knew it, Derik was already on Diavel's other side, purple staff already sliding in across Agil's teal axe-head. “On my signal!” The axe-wielder shouted.

The ‘Kobold Lord’ continued to ricochet around the room from pillar to pillar, drawing a crimson star in the sky. Had it been any other color, perhaps the sight would have been awe-inspiring. Instead, it only brought a sense of foreboding.

The star broke as the boss came streaking downward, _nōdachi_ ringing against the wind and ‘Illfang the Kobold Lord’ screaming for blood.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, this took forever and I'm so sorry. I was really trying to focus on college last semester since I did really badly in the last one (did really badly this one, too, so I guess I should've kept writing). Anyways just a couple notes. Yeah, I'm switching from first person to third person, simply because I find it easier to write that way. This way, at least to me, it'll feel a lot less like a self-insertion, even though it basically is one. Anyways, hope I didn't you guys waiting too long, and happy hunting! ~Derick (Hey look it's the main character!)


	6. It's a Brave New World

“Now!”

Derik released the sword skill he had been holding back, arching his staff upward and outward in an attempt to intercept the giant blade that was screeching back to the earth below in an angry, luminescent arc.

_Please be enough, please be enough, please be enough...._ But when violet met scarlet, a horrifying ring pierced the air as the iron staff shattered, showering iridescent polygons onto the ground before dissolving into oblivion. The boy paused, still clutching at the empty air where his weapon used to be before releasing a resounding “Shit!”

Metal clanged against metal as Agil managed to knock the _nōdachi_ away, but without the staff's support, the opening given wasn't going to be nearly enough. “Derik, get clear!”

The boy dove, but as he felt more than saw his HP drop into the yellow, 'Illfang' swiped him out of the way with his free hand and into a nearby pillar, reducing his health dangerously into the red. Although his sense of pain was reduced to almost nothing, a cry passed Derik's lips when his back crashed into the column. The game mechanics were supposed to take away some of the effects of physical trauma, but even so, when his skull cracked against the pillar, his vision blurred, and the only things he could see were messes of colors. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a mop of pink sprinting towards him. Odd blurs cleared up, and suddenly Liz was at his side, forcing a vial of red liquid into his palm.

“Drink,” she ordered. Derik nodded shakily before uncorking the bottle and bringing it to his lips. He just about choked on the medicinal potion, but once past the taste, energy coursed through his veins, beginning to slowly revitalize him. Violet eyes met rose ones, and Liz offered a small smile. “You're not allowed to leave me, partner,” she said. “I need you.”

The boy glanced up into the corner of his vision, where his health was slowly returning to its full capacity. “I don't know what I'd do without ya,” he replied, smiling back. Derik looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers, missing the familiar weight of the iron rod he once carried. “I'm gonna really miss that staff,” he sighed.

“Don't you worry about that,” the blacksmith assured him with a wink. The girl began to move her fingers in a pattern that took a few seconds for Derik to identify. _Player-to-player trade...._ With a swipe, she sent the window around to face him. As Derik scanned the contents, his eyes widened.

“H-hey, Liz...”

“Yes, Derik?” Her grin never faltered.

“Are you sure you want me to have this?” The boy asked.

“I've been working on being able to make it since we got into town.” She grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face up to hers. “Do you want it or not?”

“Yeah,” he responded. His finger hovered over the button. “What do you want for it?”

“Consider it a gift,” she replied, stealing a quick kiss. “Now go,” she commanded when she pulled away all too soon. She glanced over at the battle that was raging on, and it wasn't going too well. Diavel was on the ground, health also just starting to mend, and Kibaou and Agil were doing everything they could just to hold off 'Illfang' while the other player recovered. “They need one of the strongest warriors in Aincrad.”

Derik just stared at her in a daze, completely lost in the feeling of her lips on his. “Derik!” she shouted.

“R-Right, right,” he stuttered, scrambling to get up. “We're gonna need to talk about this later.”

“Hurry up and _kill that thing!_ ”

“God, _fine!_ ” Derik sprinted forward, equipping Lisbeth's gift. Weight settled onto his back, and he reached back and tore it forward. _Thanks, Liz,_ he thought as the steel staff began to glow violet. _I'll try not to break this one._

“Agil!” The giant turned and saw the boy darting in and grinned. 

"Here comes the cavalry," he joked, making Kibaou's gaze go in the same direction. The swordsman grinned.

"About time you got your ass up." He brought his sword up just in time to deflect a swing from the 'Kobold Lord.' "We were kinda running out of ideas."

“Derik, switch in!” Agil shouted as 'Illfang' brought its weapon up for another powerful downward strike. Kibaou threw up a thumbs up before diving out of the way.

“You got it!” Agil slammed his weapon against the sword, clearing a space for the staff-user to charge in. Derik didn't waste a second, leaping into the air with the system's assist pushing behind him. Purple light shot forward as steel jabbed into pixels, and he turned on his back foot as the second part of the combo initiated. The boy spun, ripping the staff out of the 'Kobold Lord' and connected with its knees as he completed his spin. For a few moments, he would be off balance. “Kirito!”

His friend tore passed him and slashed upwards, screaming as his sword ripped the floor boss in half. Angry red polygons exploded from where ‘Illfang the Kobold Lord’ had once stood. Shards twinkled in the white light of the chamber before disappearing entirely.

Congratulations!

The word hovered in the air as windows popped up around the room dealing out EXP and item drops to the players who had earned them.

A window popped into view in front of Derik.

Level up!

Checking his stats, the boy couldn't help but smile as everything had gone up considerably. He sheathed his staff, vowing to thank Liz for it as soon as he found her. His eyes scanned the room, trying to find his teammates, eventually finding one of them. He took off running towards him. “Oi, Kirito,” he shouted getting the other player's attention, “get any rare drops? Must have been a last-hit bonus on that thing!”

“Uh-huh!” He replied with a grin, swiping closed his own window as a long, black coat materialized around him.

“Of course you would get the cool stuff!”a girl set, trotting up to meet the two boys.

“...Asuna?”

The cloak that had once hid her features was gone. Instead, Derik was greeted with warm brown eyes and chestnut hair cascading past her shoulders and down her back. The frown that had once been on her face. Instead, the girl graced them with a kind smile.

“That’s me,” she affirmed. “‘Illfang’' caught my cloak while you and Diavel were down.”

“Looks like he did you a favor then, because _girl_ you're pretty!” Liz interjected as she walked up, pouting.

“Don't complain. So are you,” Derik shot back, turning the girl's face as pink as her hair. “Speaking of Diavel, has anybody seen him?” he asked. “I need to go ask him what the _hell_ he was thinking trying to pull that.”

“He was in the beta.”

“He what now?” Eyes fell on Kirito.

The boy shrugged. “The last hit bonus was the same as in the beta test. I asked him when he got blown backwards by the boss.”

“That explains a lot,” Derik muttered. “I still gotta talk to him, though. There's something I think he needs to hear.”

Kirito jerked his head to the right, and the other boy nodded before taking off. “Wait for me before you go through the door, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Liz waved. “Just hurry back, got it?”

“Got it, _mom_ ,” Derik yelled back. A particularly unladylike snort came from behind him accompanied by a giggle and a small chuckle.

He finally caught sight of the self-proclaimed knight sitting with his back to a pillar. His hair hung down in strands, and his breathing was heavy, fatigue evident on his handsome features.

“Oi.” The man looked up and caught Derik's gaze.

“Hey,” he responded.

“Mind if I sit?”

“Go for it.”

Derik eased his way to the ground, groaning every second of the way. _Damn, I'm tired_. For a while neither of them said anything. _Okay, this is getting awkward. Let's go to work._

“That was a pretty risky move there,” he said.

“Uh-huh,” Diavel acknowledged.

“You wanna tell me why you tried that?” The other man hesitated. “It's alright,” Derik assured him, “This stays between us.”

Diavel searched Derik's face for something, probably any sign that he was telling the truth. After a few moments, apparently satisfied with what he found, he took a deep breath.

“I was a beta tester. I remembered this boss fight and I figured it would be pretty much the same as it was back then. I thought it would all be the same.”

“But it isn't the same, is it?”

“The man sighed. “No, it really isn't. Starting with the fact that all of this,” he waved one arm above his head and flop back down again, “isn't a game anymore. Sword Art Online is our new reality.”

“So what does that mean for us, Diavel?”

“It means that, to some extent at least, we have to stop thinking like gamers.”

“MMORPGs are generally a competition for resources, yeah?” Derik asked, to which the other man nodded. “Then how do we change that?”

“Instead of competing for resources like normal, we have to work together. We can't play the way we usually would.”

“You're right about that,” Derik affirmed, standing up. “We may be playing his game, but we're gonna play it our way.” He offered his hand to the knight. “This is war, Diavel. Us against Kayaba.”

The other man accepted the proffered hand, allowing Derik to pull him to his feet. “So how do we beat him?”

“Beat the creation, beat the creator,” the boy replied. “We get strong enough to clear ninety-nine more floors.”

“So we hunker down for the long run?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Diavel grimaced. “This doesn't seem different from what we usually do.”

“We'll make it different,” Derik replied, putting as much conviction into his voice as he could muster. “You saw what we did here! We worked together to take this boss down!” He flashed a grin. “Why wouldn't we be able to do that on a larger scale?”

Despite himself, Diavel returned the smile. “Well you're certainly optimistic.” The man pondered for a moment. “Alright. Sounds good to me!” The man cocked his head. “Were you a counselor in, you know, the real world?”

Derik shook his head. “I was just a student when I got stuck here. Why?”

“You'd be a good one,” the man responded, clapping a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm thinking of creating a guild soon. I'd be honored if you'd join me.”

Derik shook his head. “Sorry Diavel,” he inclined his head in his friends' general direction, “but I think Squad F is gonna be a more permanent thing.”

The other man nodded. “I understand.”

“Don't be afraid to send us a message if anything comes up, though. Chances are, Camelot might need a little extra manpower.”

Diavel laughed at that. “Camelot, huh? I like it. I hope you don't mind if I steal that to name that guild of mine.”

Derik waved it off. “Go for it.” His gaze left the other man's face and back at the doorway that would lead back to the rest of the first floor. “Somebody's gotta go announce what we did here. Everybody in the Town of Beginnings and elsewhere need to know that it's possible to beat this game.”

“I'll go, don't worry about it.” Diavel nodded. “You go on ahead and explore. Map out the place.”

“You sure?” Derik asked. Diavel gave him a look that said everything. “Alright, alright!” he laughed, opening his menu. “Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, okay?” he added, sending a friend request to the other man.

He pressed the button to accept the request, and the window slid shut. “You've got it,” he replied. Diavel let go of Derik's shoulder before heading towards his group. “See you around, Derik.”

“Don't take too long, Sir Diavel,” the boy shot back, earning a chuckle from the other man, before taking off running back to his own squad.

* * * * * * *

“Everything alright with him?” Kirito asked when Derik rejoined the conversastion.

“Yeah, we got it all settled,” he replied. “He's gonna head back to town to tell everyone the good news. He said to go on ahead and explore some of the second floor. You guys up for that?”

“I'm ready if you are,” Liz said, flashing him a grin. “ _Somebody_ has to make sure you don't lose your foot again.”

Derik stuck his tongue out at her, immediately getting the action thrown back at him. “Sure, we're partners, ain't we? What about you guys? Kirito? Asuna?”

“Sure am,” Asuna replied. Kirito nodded his assent.

“Alrighty, let's get going!”

Kirito led the way towards the steps that led to the giant archway.

“Hey, Asuna,” Liz said, getting the other girl's attention, “you wanna be friends? Derik and Kirito are alright, but sometimes you just need somebody for girl talk, you know?”

Asuna let out a small laugh. “I know exactly what you mean, Liz,” she answered, opening a friend request window, which the other girl eagerly accepted.

“Oi, if you're gonna be friends with one of us, it should probably be all of us,” Derik interjected, opening a friend request window of his own.

“We're a good team,” Asuna admitted. “Might as well keep in touch, if we aren't together pretty much all the time anyway.” She tapped the button, and the window slid shut. Derik offered a smile, which the girl returned instantly.

Liz leaned over to whisper something in Asuna's ear. “Oh, Kirito and I are already friends!”

“Well in that case, I bet I can beat you up the stairs!” The pink-haired girl took off running.

“You didn't even count down, ya cheater!” Derik shouted, sprinting after her, with Asuna hot on his heels.

He blew past Kirito, who was apparently oblivious to the entire exchange, and caught up with Liz a few seconds later. “You and I need to have a serious conversation later.”

“Yeah, but let's get somewhere safe first, yeah?” The girl answered, not even out of breath. “Safe and private.”

“Sure, okay.”

Somehow, the two players tied at the top of the stairs, followed a few moments later by Asuna. Kirito brought up the rear, simply shaking his head and grinning. “You guys are weird.”

“Yeah, we know,” Liz said, punching him lightly in the shoulder. “But you love us anyway.”

Turning back to look at the stone doorway, Derik couldn't help but wonder what would happen when the gateway opened. Looking around at his friends, though, his worries melted away, and he smiled softly.

“‘O brave new world that has such people in’t,'” he murmured softly.

“Was that just...Shakespeare?” Liz asked, trying and failing to muffle her laughter. “Didn't take you for a literature nerd.”

“Well, I am. Shut up.” Derik reached out his arm and pushed against the stone. Slowly the doors swung outward, rumbling against the ground as it went. He couldn't see anything; the area right past was cloaked in shadow, and mist rolled through the widening gap.

He felt somebody poke his shoulder, and he found Liz at his side, an encouraging smile on her face as his eyes met hers. “After you, Derik.”

The boy smiled back, and, taking a deep breath, took a step forward, then another, and then another, walking through the stone archway, footsteps echoing in the dark expanse as he led his friends through the mist and into the shadows beyond.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a bit of writer's block, and since some events have deviated from the original events of the anime, I'm a little unsure of where to go from here. Maybe I can take some inspiration from music like I did with this one, which was loosely inspired by "This is War" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Thanks to those of you who've waited, and hopefully the next chapter won't be too long in coming. I'm hoping to focus a little bit less on the OC in the next chapter and more on how the other three are affected with him being around. Thanks for sticking around! ~Derick (a.k.a. totally not the main character)


	7. A Brief Moment of Reprieve

Within the mountains of the second floor lay a city that looked as if it had been carved into a crater. This city was known as “Urbus,” and had become a rather popular attraction since the portal from the first floor had been opened. There stood a building in the center of Urbus that, although fairly unremarkable from the outside, was actually a quite important addition to the city.

That building was an inn, and upon arriving in Urbus after fighting through the monsters that had spawned between the portal and the city, Kirito, Asuna, Lisbeth, and Derik promptly stumbled into the building, purchased two rooms for the night, and collapsed in those rooms, utterly exhausted from the day’s events.

Of course, the lull probably wasn’t going to last long. Derik knew that things were going to get hectic again very soon, but for an entirely different reason.

A knock came from the door. “Hey Derik, it’s me,” came Liz’s voice. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, go ahead,” the boy replied.

The door creaked open and Liz stepped inside, her eyes glancing everywhere _but_ at him. _Well, at least I know I’m not the only one who’s nervous._

“I’m just gonna go see what the shops have. I’ll be back later,” Kirito said and slipped out, closing the door behind him.

_Thank God he’s so dense._

“Y-You can go ahead and sit on my bed if you like,” the boy stuttered, dragging the chair from the desk over and sliding into it as Liz took the bed.

Silence.

“Liz, you kissed me on the battlefield.” Derik looked up to meet her eyes. She began to blush a little, but didn’t look away.

“I-I, well, yeah. I suppose I did.” The girl fidgeted a little. “Did you not like it?”

“Oh, I definitely did, don’t get me wrong,” Derik admitted, heat rising in his own cheeks as he remembered the feeling of her lips on his. “I just…wasn’t expecting it at all.”

“Well then you, sir, must be dense as hell.” Liz chuckled lightly. “I’ve been dropping hints left and right for the past week or so.”

“…Seriously?”

“You’re almost as bad as Kirito.”

“You take that back!” Derik spluttered. “Oh, poor Asuna…”

“Oh my god, you ship it too?!”

“They’re so obvious, Liz,” the boy said.

“Good poi—wait, we’re getting off track here. I kissed you. There are feelings behind it, so do you want to try being a thing?”

“Oh, a thing,” Derik teased, grinning. “How romantic.”

“Shut up and date me, you idiot.”

The boy smiled, taking the girl’s hands in his. “Okay.”

“Wait, really?” She froze, eyes shining.

“Really,” Derik replied gently. “I’m used to taking things really slow, so I hope you don’t mind that.” He pressed a kiss to the girl’s cheek, feeling the heat rising in his own, and then pulled away, adding, “But I do want to try being something special with you.”

Lisbeth sighed. “I honestly wasn’t expecting that to go so smoothly.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve been flirting with you for no reason, Liz,” the boy said, laughing afterward. “You just aren’t dense enough to miss my hints.”

“I guess not,” she agreed, joining into his laughter. “So what do we do now?”

“How about we hit the town?” Derik suggested. “I think I saw an NPC-run restaurant on the way here.”

“I like that idea,” Liz replied. She stood up, pulling Derik up with her.

The boy smiled and walked out the door, her hand still in his. “It’s a date, then.”

“Now we just have to get Kirito and Asuna together.”

“Shush, Liz. They need to figure that out for themselves.”

The girl pouted. “You’re no fun…”

“You and I both disagree with that statement.”

“True.”

The pair exited the inn and stepped out onto the streets, making their way towards the restaurant that Derik had mentioned. “Liz?”

“Yes Derik?”

“That was my first kiss.”

“Wait, what?!” The girl met his eyes in shock. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry. It was in the heat of the moment and it felt like the right thing to do and—”

“Hey,” Derik interrupted, smiling wide. “I wasn’t complaining.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and then pulled away. “And I’m glad it was you.”

Liz smiled gently and squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you were mine, too.”

*            *            *            *            *            *            *

In an item shop elsewhere in Urbus, Kirito scanned the shelves, seeing what new things were being offered and whether they would be of any use to him and his team. Nothing much seemed different until his eyes came to rest on one particular potion. “What’s this?” the boy asked, looking up at the NPC that was running the shop.

“That, my boy, is an energy potion! Once any adventurer reaches level 20, a second bar appears underneath their HP bar. This is the Energy Points bar, or EP for short. Activating any sort of skill will begin to utilize EP for completion. Though EP replenishes on its own, this energy potion will add a set amount of points back to the bar.”

“EP, huh? Makes sense to me. It doesn’t make sense to not have a source of energy for abilities and skills. Most RPGs have MP or something similar, so I was wondering when that feature might kick in.” Kirito paused in thought for a moment, then looked back to the NPC behind the counter. “I’ll take four energy potions, please.”

“That will be 160 Cor,” the man replied pleasantly. As soon as Kirito hit the <<Accept>> button, the potions dropped into his inventory. “Come again soon!” he shouted, waving as his customer pushed his way out the door.

The boy stepped out of the shop and continued onward, wandering the streets of the city. Although the colors of the buildings and streets were fairly drab, the streetlights were bright, so the mood of his surroundings wasn’t that bad. Rather, it was kind of comforting. _Kayaba must have put a lot of thought into the design of this game. I mean, that makes sense._

“Kirito!” The boy turned to see Asuna running up the street behind him, carrying two items wrapped in paper.

“Hey, Asuna,” he called out, coming to a stop to let her catch up. “Whatcha got?”

“Well, I was feeling hungry so I figured I’d go buy something, and I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten yet either, so I decided to get you something too!” She handed him one. “Here, have a sandwich.”

“Thanks,” Kirito replied. “But why didn’t you get some for Derik and Liz?”

The girl smiled brightly. “It looks like they had their own plans.”

The boy raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

In response, Asuna grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down the road. “Come on. Let me show you.”

Kirito forced down the blush that threatened to rise and complied, following his teammate through the various twists and turns within Urbus until they reached the square. There at the corner was a small shop by the name of “Urban’s,” and there in the window sat Lisbeth and Derik, enjoying a meal together.

“Should we join them? Nothing seems all that different.”

Asuna poked his face. “Don’t even think about it. Besides, I just met them a couple days ago, and something is definitely different now. Look closer.”

The boy’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he complied anyway, studying his teammates’ faces. “There’s a lot of blushing going on. Lots of really long moments of eye contact, too.” He glanced over at Asuna. “What are you getting at?”

The girl pouted in response. “God, you’re dense.” Before Kirito could interrupt, she continued, “They totally just started dating!”

“How do you figure that?”

Asuna shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’ve got a lot to learn about relationships.”

“Then let me propose a deal,” the boy replied, regaining the girl’s attention. “You know a lot about relationships. I know a lot about gaming. How about you teach me what you know, and in return I’ll teach you what I know?”

Asuna smiled and extended her hand. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

Kirito clasped the proffered hand and shook. “A pleasure to work with you, Miss Asuna.”

“So when do we start?” she asked.

“Right now,” he said, pointing back at Derik and Liz. “Explain it to me. How did you come to the conclusion that they’re dating?!”

“Okay, well…” Asuna began as the pair they’d been watching stepped out of the restaurant and walked back toward the inn, hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I've had the absolute worst writer's block for the longest time, and I've been trying to get back into it! Anyways, one ship has sailed, but the next will be more of a slow burn. I'm also changing the game mechanics a little bit, as it just makes no sense to me to not have some form of energy points or mana points to perform support skills or combat skills. Hope you don't mind that too much. If you're still reading, thanks! I'll see you at the next update, whenever it may be! ~Derick


End file.
